


Doctor Who: There are (no) dangers in the forest

by TARDIS_Type40_my_all_time_favourite1986



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Transformation, F/M, Falling In Love, Forests, Friendship, Love, One Shot, Siblings in spirit, TenRose - Freeform, Twelve - Clara, lonely, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 22:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20571713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TARDIS_Type40_my_all_time_favourite1986/pseuds/TARDIS_Type40_my_all_time_favourite1986
Summary: John (Ten) and Clara are 'forced' to stay by an event in the middle of the forest. But what at first seems caught up here quickly becomes something that none of them would expect.Sadly, things are not always what they look like.





	Doctor Who: There are (no) dangers in the forest

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, dear reader ...
> 
> Again, a new story from me, this time a bit unusual, but different types of stories are anyway more or less known by me.
> 
> As always, enjoy reading ...
> 
> Allons-y!

Doctor Who is © by BBC. 

Doctor Who: There are (no) dangers in the forest

The year 2016

London/England/Europe

„Look“, he shouted, „there's a spring of water there!“

The young man ran without listening to the calls of his younger sister. Actually, they were not sibling by blood, but they knew each other, well, it was hard to tell from an early age, since he was already 15 years old and John had settled down for an internship in Blackpool.

At that time, the Oswalds were his host family, a friendship that continued until today, and since Clara had no siblings, he became a kind of brother to her.

Of course, questions also came up as to whether they would both be a couple, but they just commented with a laugh.

But all of this had no meaning for the time being, if he did not even listen to their instructions and just drank from the water, although the warning was clearly heard that everyone would be punished for pushing against the ban.

John, as his name said, stared wide-eyed at her when he suddenly felt something, then started to tremble and the next moment he stood before her as a stag whose antlers had ten ends.

„I warned you not to drink from the water source, but you could not hear.“

The deer lowered its head, but winced when he heard something. Due to his transformation, he had a better hearing. He stood in front of her when he suddenly heard footsteps of another person.  
A man stepped out of the thicket, dressed in plaid pants and a hoodie. Clara stared at the man in front of him and he returned the look in the same way.  
„You have drunk from my source, if you continue to be a deer, you will have to learn to live in the woods.“

„Why was he ever turned into a stag?“

Clara looked at the man in front of her. He was several years older than her. Silver-gray hair covered his head and his eyes were the blue of a gentle sea. He was beautiful in her eyes, but she had no time for that.

„Answer, why was he transformed? He did not do anything wrong!“

He had not taken his eyes off her the whole time and then surprised her with the next question.  
„Why should I explain it to you. You did not pay attention to the prohibitions.“

She just looked at him with a cold look from her brown eyes.

„Join me, I'll make you something to eat. Well, for him there will be enough green fodder, as far as you are concerned, hope you are satisfied with a rice and vegetable pan with cheese grated.“

Since they did not have much food in the last few days, both agreed and followed him. They soon reach a large estate and after he had called out loud, a young woman appeared at the door.

„Rose, would you please prepare a room for our guests. For the time being, you're gonna... Mmm, where is the stag going?“

Both looked forward and could see him being stroked by the young woman. John had also pushed his nose into her hair and had to admit that she smelled of roses and lilac. Even though he was a deer now, his thoughts were still those of a human being, and just before him was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met in his life.

„Come on, let's go inside... Except for the deer, I think he's a little too big for that.“

Clara wanted to say something against it, but when Rose promised to take good care of him and her brother looked at her pleadingly, she merely nodded. Her brother was a bit anxious to spend more time with her.

„What's your name?“, He asked her.  
„Clara, Clara Oswald. Are you something of a nobleman?“  
„Just a normal person who can afford a house and a forest property... And I have the ability to enchant water, but that's about it.“

She looked at him skeptically, but John was turned into a stag, too. She asked him if there was a way to turn him back and he had to admit that he did not know. She decided not to talk to him anymore.

The house seemed to be bigger inside. Even the antechamber looked gigantic. However, this could only happen to her because she had never seen such a breathtaking experience.

„Are you coming, Clara?“, He shouted to her and she tried to keep up with him. Still, it was difficult not to let your eyes wander. This was just too much for her.

„Here, in this room you can sleep and, before you think, I would hold you here against your will. You can go anytime, but your brother has to stay here.“

She just nodded, later explaining that John was not really her brother. That would not work, since John was Scottish and she is English.

„Dinner will be ready in two hours.“

„Your wife will probably be there too.“  
„I'm not married“, he said, „so far I have not come across the right one.“

He left her alone.

Clara sat down on the bed and thought. He probably lived alone, except for Rose, here. But if they were not married, why was she here? She could not be a servant; the house was large, but it seemed to her as if he were keeping it in check.

The bed felt very soft as Clara settled on it. She even sank a little. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the pleasant feeling. Yes, maybe she would stay here for a few days.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ °

After feeding the stag, she returned to the house and joined him. He was about to cut the vegetables.

„It could be you.“  
„Who?“, He asked without looking up from his work.  
„The girl. It could be you who frees you from this curse.“  
„That's what I thought of you then, but I'm still here, right. So I was probably not the right person for you.“

He put the knife next to him and shook his head.  
„She can not be older than you, Rose. Why should she be?“  
„Because not the head, but the heart chooses who we fall in love with.“

He continued to work, but thought about those words all the time. Could Clara really be the one who got him out of his loneliness? Nonsense, he was 58, an old man, as if she would fall in love with him.  
It was just wishful thinking by Rose.

However, while he cooked the rice, he also wondered why this stag was so interested in Rose. He could not feel like a human anymore. Many had drunk before him from this spring, but then they were gone in the woods.

John, that was his name, did not do it, he stayed at Clara's side. He thought for a moment, she had told him that he was her brother in spirit, not blood. Could it be that John was in love with her?

His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. They were not here for two hours and yet he already felt a hint of jealousy there. But that would hardly be possible, right?

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

John had made himself comfortable in the grass outside and thought for a while. Rose, never before had he seen a more beautiful creature. Well, that was a little selfish, but he could hardly do anything about it that made his heart beat faster when he thought of her.

But he was now a stag, Rose would not develop feelings for him.

Suddenly he remembered something. Clara must have a picture of him with her. So she could show Rose this, too. But how could he explain what he wanted? It was not as if he still spoke human language.

„Hey, would you like to get to know the surroundings?“

He looked up and saw Rose in front of him. Of course he wanted that and if she accompanied him, it would be even better.  
„We do not have a long time.“

He did not care as long as they could spend a little time together. No matter how short the seconds would be.

It was a fairly large property and yet located near the city. Rose said it was less than an hour's walk to get to Croydon, a district of London.

She herself, she said, was here only a few weeks a year so he would not be so lonely, but she could not give him what he needed.

He nudged her carefully with his nose and then pointed to the house, which was visible nearby.  
„Do you think she can get him out of his loneliness? At least I did not make it. But maybe I'm not the right one for him.“  
John would smile if he could. Before him stood the most beautiful creature he ever saw, and he was doomed to be a stag. But then a question crossed his mind. What if she liked him only in the form of the deer, but would reject him as a human being?

Well, the women (and men too) have always found him handsome, but that does not mean he jumped from one bed to another. Actually, he had had very few relationships in the past and none of them had triggered what he had felt alone with Rose the first time he looked at her.

But as long as he had this form, she certainly would not love him as he wished.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~

A few hours later, as the stars twinkled above them, Clara stood outside and let the sight sink in on her. She had never seen so many stars at one time and it was one of the most beautiful pictures that will be remembered.

„You should be sleeping already.“

She looked next to her and swallowed. He shone a little in the light of the moon, and she could not help but notice how much she was attracted to him.

There was a reason she never had a close relationship with John, and that was because she was more attracted to older men. The only problem was that they seldom found any who were truly single, and since Clara did not want to be separated, she had to live with this secret without really finding the person she wanted to live with.

„I could get you a telescope to see the stars better“, he said, „but it's already late and we should really go to sleep. Breakfast is around nine tomorrow morning. Be punctual.“

He left, but as soon as he disappeared into his room, he tried to ignore the pain that was taking the middle of his body. Whenever the night was full of stars, he felt that burning pain that would not end until dawn. He could only try to ignore it as much as possible.

He lay awake on the bed, staring at the ceiling. On his stomach was a hot water bottle to make the pain a little more bearable, but it really did not help. On the contrary, it got even worse.

At some point, when he was tired of lying down, he got up and hoped to find some rest after a short walk. But when he came to the open door to Clara's bedroom, he stopped with a jerk and looked into the room.

She seemed to sleep, but the groan that came from the bed indicated that she was either awake or having an erotic dream. He came closer and when she saw him, her eyes widened in shock.

„Next time, maybe you should close the bedroom door, unless you wanted to have an audience.“

She frowned for a moment before she thought she thought he was already sleeping.

„I'm not the one who sleeps a lot. If you want to continue, do not forget to shoot the door.“  
„I rather lost the pleasure“, she stood up with these words and he had no opportunity to turn around quickly enough. She threw on a robe and just walked past him.

„You want to run around the house?!“, he ran after her with these words.  
„Did I prefer you naked“, she teased him, which he had to swallow, but still claimed that he had not paid attention. Which was a complete lie, of course. He would not get that picture out of his head. She was in a strange environment, yet she did not seem to have any problems with giving herself to her natural needs.

But why did she leave the door open? He was the only other person in the house, except for Rose, of course. Nobody else was here. He was basically alone.  
„Now go to sleep“, he said just before he just continued his round.

„She could be the one to free you from the curse“, Rose's voice suddenly sounded behind him.  
„That will not happen. Clara is young and I am an old man whose days are numbered. So why should she be interested in someone like me?“

„Because she stayed, even though she could have left long ago, it's not like you're holding her.“

He sighed: „How is the deer?“  
„All right, he sleeps a little now. I wonder why his transformation did not work out completely because he was still with her.“

He too had this question. After drinking from the forbidden source, all memories were lost and the person simply disappeared into the woods. It had not been that way with John, instead he stuck to Clara's side and he really seemed to want to use his front hooves if anyone wanted to hurt her.

He nodded. For many years he was trapped in this place, could not leave the forest. He did not even know what he could have said or done to land here. One morning, he woke up here and a voice told him he must learn. But that voice did not tell him what that meant. What should he learn and what about?

He was rather arrogant with other people in his past, barely paying any attention to them, pushing children roughly aside, ignoring adults who had hurt themselves. He took care of nothing and nobody.

He has been here for years. Rose had gotten lost here only two years ago, but he had lived in that place for a while. After they became friends, he told her that he was trapped here. He could not go farther than the edge of the woods.

„In the 21st century, there are still things that can surprise you, this is one of them. I can only feel friendship for you, but if Clara is the girl who will free you from this situation, it will be so.“

„If I still looked like 20 years ago, then yes, but not that age, with the gray hair and wrinkles on my face. If she did not have to stay here with her brother, she would have been gone long ago.“

Rose smiled, wished him a good night and then went to sleep as well. He continued on his way slowly, thinking about Rose's words. Could it really be that he was soon freed from his punishment?

He simply did not want to force Clara to anything and keeping her here forever was also wrong. He had to admit that she would leave as soon as time came. And he would continue to spend his years alone here.

Clara first woke up the next morning when the sun had risen just above the horizon. Because of the silence, she first wondered why she could not even feel the wind, but then she realized what had happened yesterday and that John now had to live as a stag.

She swung out of bed and saw for the first time how big the room really was. Here it would be easily possible to build an apartment through partitions.

„I see you are awake. Remember, breakfast is around nine, be on time.“

She frowned in confusion. Why did he insist that she be punctual? It was not like something bad happened in the house. Or maybe yes? Was there a reason for his behavior and she simply did not recognize him?

On the other hand, it was summer 2016 and yet she was here and had no idea how she should understand it all.

There was an hour left before the time, so she decided to check on John. She hoped he had weathered the night well.

She heard laughter as she stepped to the front door and saw John Rose holding out a flower. Rose seemed a little embarrassed, but then thanked him for it. Clara could only shake her head with a smile. Your "brother" had really caught it. He was jealous of all the antlers, to say the least, but if he continued to be a stag, it could be rather difficult to get into a deeper relationship with Rose.

When John noticed her, he ran to her and greeted her with a slight nudge in her nose. Normally he would have hugged her, but in his current shape it may not be such a good idea.

„Good morning, I hope you slept well last night?“

He nodded and then pointed his head at Rose.  
„You really like her, do not you? Too bad you did not meet before.“  
He lowered his head lightly and pawed the hoof a little, and a moment later she could make out a heart and the name Rose next to it.  
„Oh, a little more than like. But you are afraid that it will not be, because it may only like the stag and not the human being.“  
Clara gave him a picture which he could now show to Rose. Carefully, he took it between his lips and ran with it to Rose to show her the photo of his true self.

„So you are really? Yes, they are the same eyes and you still have that hairstyle. You... look somehow... Well, you can certainly think what I mean.“

He just looked at her. How much he wished to be human again and tell her what he felt for her, even if they did not know each other for a day. But here he knew that he had finally found the woman he had been looking for all his life.

„Unfortunately I have to go to breakfast, but you can still be there anyway. After all, it's on the ground floor and we can open a window for you.“

She pressed a light kiss on his head and he could not say how much he loved this little gesture.

In the meantime, Clara had arrived in the dining room.

„Sit down. And do not ask where the whole food comes from. Your brother should stay at the window so that it does not tear down my curtains.“

She just looked at him before she suddenly reached out and pushed her away.  
„Are you still angry because of last night? As if you had not thought about what it would be like to have watched me longer?!“  
„I'm 58, way too old for such things!“

Rose and John left quickly. They would not return until a few hours later.

„Sure, too old. You had a full erection when we talked last night, so do not talk about not doing that anymore.“

„What are you asking?“, He asked her, clenching his hands into fists, „that I'll just use you against your will. Not even with Rose did I do this. But what do you know?“

She stepped closer and looked at him. Then she took a deep breath.  
„You are lonely, right, but I can not fall in love with a man who is not himself. I will go with John in the afternoon.“

„Where? You can not go back to the city and dangers lurk in the forest. Believe it or not, you two are safest here.“

He was lonely, she realized. Rose was able to assist him for a few weeks, but that did not really get him out of his prison. Had loneliness made him so grumpy?

She hugged him suddenly and he stiffened, saying that he did not like such gestures, but Clara only meant that he would get used to it. He finally put his arms around her and he inhaled the scent of her hair. Of course, he would never admit that he enjoyed it, but deep inside he wished that they would stand like that for a long time.

„Let's have breakfast first“, she smiled as she finally let him go, „after that we'll see how we make your day.“  
„I can not go farther than the edge of the forest, Clara. So big trips to the city are not possible.“

She looked up at him and finally asked how long he had been here and when he answered that it was probably 20 years, she opened her eyes in fright.

„I'm so sorry for you“, she hid her face in her hands, „if it's really 20 years, then you've been alone for many years.“

„I felt fine in the meantime, it's not like I've got stuck in the past, at least since Rose first showed up here and told me so much about the outside world.“

Clara took his hand in hers and pulled him close until they were really close. Then she raised a hand and put it on his cheek. He closed his eyes and gave himself completely to the feeling, but then suddenly turned away from her.

„No, Clara, this can not be right. I've been trapped here for 20 years, besides, I'm an old man, so what does a young woman like you think how I feel about her. I know that you always want young, good-looking guys, and I do not fit into this pattern.“

He turned away from her and went back into the house. She would not see him until the evening.

Meanwhile, John and Rose had discovered a beautiful place in the middle of the forest. It was a lake where a waterfall fell and whose beauty was even more emphasized by all the flowers here.

John had sat down and Rose was snuggled up to his coat.

„You know, even if you are really cuddly as a deer, I would still see you as a human being. Or I'll become a doe myself.“

John looked at her. I hope that was just a joke of her. She should not even think something like that.

„You know, we've known each other for a short time, but even though I can not say why, I feel a strong connection to you. Too bad you can not answer, if you think so too.“

He now laid his head on the grass and thought about it. Well, what did he feel in this case. He did not want Rose to like him because she had seen him in his human form and how many other women wanted him for his looks. He wished that Rose stayed with him forever, but she also wanted it of her own free will and not because she somehow felt obliged to him.

„You know, it's amazing that you're even here. Also, it's just me by chance, he found me injured around here one day, and when I was later healed and was able to go home for the first time, I noticed for the first time how lonely he really is.“

John turned his head slightly and his eyes, still human, looked sad.  
„Yes, he deserves someone to make him happy, but he himself says that he no longer believes in finding someone to stay with him because he was loved and not because somebody... Somehow there is none Words for it.“

He would love to hug her, but that too was denied him in this form. Rose, snuggled up to his coat, had taken a nap in the meantime and he hoped that his feelings alone were enough to make him human again.

The next few hours went by, announcing in the sky that it would be raining in the night, reinforcing his fears that he had to spend his last years alone.  
Oh, Clara was beautiful, he'd noticed that the first time he met her, but she was young too, had her whole life in front of her, and she was not guaranteed to be interested in a wrinkled curtain like him.

He slumped to the floor of his own bedroom, leaning his back against the wall and closing his eyes, trying to hold back the tears. But that did not really work.

He felt someone put his arms around him and he did not have to look to know who it was. He did not care how she found his bedroom, the only thing he wanted was just to be with her.

„You do not deserve to be alone... I do not even know your name.“  
„Basil, Peter Basil Smith, a pretty stupid name, I know.“  
„I like it, besides you can not do anything for your name. And imagine what I had to hear for spells about my name.“

He grinned a little, tears still running down his cheeks. Clara raised both hands and gently wiped his cheeks. Basil turned his head in her direction and his eyes fell on her lips, even if he did not want to. She only looked up at him.

„Are you afraid of being kissed?“  
„Rather that you would retire after it happened, my face is not as smooth as it used to be.“

She laughingly shook her head and then pulled him to her.  
„As if that would interest me“, she just said and kissed him, without which he could have prepared for it. When he did not return, she pulled back and looked at him with a disappointed look. He had been alone too long alone, that he could get involved with someone.

„It probably should not be“, she said only and left the room shortly thereafter. He stayed behind, thinking of what an idiot he had just been, but he also did not want her to do it only out of pity.

He pulled his knees to him and rested his head on it. He was well over 50, almost 60, and yet he was consumed by the yearning for a specific person he did not know for three days. He had been alone too long... But why did not he have any deeper feelings for Rose and she was only a few months older than Clara, he had noticed.

So it was really so that you could not choose who you fell in love with. He looked up, then shook his head, wondering what he had done to feel that way. Clara stayed here because of her brother, she would never have done it voluntarily, and if somehow John became a human again, Rose would go with them and he would be lonely again.

„Will you come to my room?“, She asked him and he looked up. She suddenly stood in front of him again, but he did not have the strength to get up, so that she helped him and they then settled together on his bed. Clara moved close to him, resting her head on his chest, which was covered by a t-shirt, and took a deep breath.

„How did you end up here?“  
„By youthful recklessness, I would say. I just passed injured people without paying attention to them... I guess that's why. And the spring was created for me to have at least the animals as a company.“

She looked up at him and could see the pain in his blue eyes. If only she could help him escape his loneliness, she would, but unfortunately it was not as easy as it sounded.

„I... I want to stay with you“, she whispered,„not because I feel sorry for you, but because, despite the short time I'm here, I can not get rid of the feeling that I can not stand it I'll lose you. I love you, Basil, but I can not help but feel that way.“

This time he did not retire. This time he returned her kiss and at the same time away from her, while John's voice asked her to wake up.

„You fell asleep in the middle of the sofa. Did you have a dream again?“

John stood before her, in his human form, not as a stag.

„I just wanted to let you know that I'm dating tonight. I met someone and her name is...“  
„Rose Tyler“, she interrupted him and he just stared at her, asking how she knew.  
„You told me.“  
„Oh, well then...“

Clara felt a glimmer of hope. If Rose really existed then perhaps Basil did as well and she wanted nothing more than to really face him one day.

The end (for the time being?)


End file.
